Hydraulic-elevator installation



June 30, 1925.

J. S. HUNTER HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR INSTALLATION Filed 061:. 22, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m. V l

June 30, 1925. 1,544.405

J. s. HUNTER HYDRAULI C ELEVATOR I NS TALLATI ON Filed Oct. 22, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cir Patented June 30, 19 25.

y 1 1,544,405 PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN STANLEY HUNTER, O WAVERLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AIISTRALIA.

HYDRAULIC-ELEVATOR INSTALLATION.

Application filed October 22, 1923. Serial No. 370,151

To all whomz't may concern: I

Be it known that I, JoHN STANLEY HUNTER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Waldur Court, Paul Street, Waverley, in the State of New'South NVales, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic-Elevator Installations, for which I have filed application in Australia No. 12,556, onthe 21st- May, 1923, of which thefollowing is a specification. V p

The purpose of this invention is to render impossible the operation or working of a hydraulic elevator if any one'or more of the lift-well doors are open (unless the mecha nism is tampered with) while notinterfering in any way with the normal working of the elevator when all the doors are closed. The invention is applicable to elevator installations in which the lift-well doors are of vertically sliding type, horizontally sliding type, expanding type, and hinged type, the only alteration required in the respective cases being slight modifications in construction to enable the closure of any particular type of door to make the required mechanical contact which sets the mechanism forming the subject of this invention to release position so that the elevator may be operated. V

A dangerous defect which has hitherto existed in hydraulic elevator installations is.

that ithas been possible to remove the elevator car from any particular floor while leaving open the lift-well door at that floor, or while any lift-well door is open, and this has beenthe cause of many accidents. It

- is an object ofthis invention to prevent the occurrence of accidents from this cause.

My invention is applicable to installations in which the elevator car is operated by means of a hydraulic cylinder fitted with a ram, hydraulic engine, or any other hydraulically operated device by means of which the upward and downward movement,

of an elevator car is or may be efiected.

My invention consists essentially in providing in a hydraulic elevator installation, a plurality of what may be termed hydraulic switches (which are actually valves) arranged in series and,one of which isassociated with each lift-well door above the lowest floor, and one (only) regulator valve arranged in the pressure supply pipe to the hydraulic s id M? Yale b g set to tl ie on or open position (that is; permitting flow of water from the ordinary control valve when 'open'to the hydraulic machine) by flow of water ressure through all the switches in series w en these are" set to the" on or open position by closure of all the doors, and said cut-ofl' valve being set to the off or exhaust position by a counter-balance weight, a spring or other known means, when on the opening of any lift-well door the switch associatedtherewith is automatically setto release the pres-' sure operating the regulator valve. My invention still further consists in otherfeatures as will be apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings which depict apparatus and a method of installing same according to my invention;

In the drawings: l 1 is adiagrammatic sectional elevation' of conventional suspended elevator serving three floors'of a building, and to which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the hydraulic switches, V

Fig. 3 a cross section thereof, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal sectional elevation of the regulator valve and its] control cylinder.

Referring to Fig. 1, the elevator car or cage 6 issuspended by rope 7' and is actuated by ram 8 work ingin hydraulic cylinder 9 in known manner;

The well-doors are indicated respectively by numerals 10, 11 and 12, and with same are associated respectively the hydraulic switches 13, 14 and 15, said switches being affixed in anysuit'ableway to the well-framing and in suchrelative'arrangement with the doors that their normally projecting plungers are contacted by the doors and forced inwardly whenthe latter are closed. On the hydraulic service pipe 16is a stop valve 17 and a control valve 18 of ordinary known and need not, beflfurther described.

From the valve 18 is a pressure pipe 22 leads to the regulator. valve 23 whence a pressure pipe 24 leads to the hydraulic cylinder 9,

The regulator valve 23 is connected to an e ust P P? 25 Which-1,1 t lf nnected a;

2 a main exhaust pipe 26 leading from the switch which"isconneete'd by" ipe 32 "toswitch '14. This switch is connected by control valve 18.

The control cylinder for the regulator valve, is indica ed y mm ral 27; A. halance Wei ht 28 is mounted on one arm of a bell cran lever 29 ivotedat 30, said lever. tending to move the plunger of cylinder inwardly as hereinafter explainedf From the service pipe 16 a branchv service pipe 31 conveys pressure Water to the top pipe 33 to siyitcl'r13which is conlnecteil by pipe" 34w the control c linder 2'7.

."S witehes 13,14 and .15 ave exhaust pipes 'fnnmbered respectively 35, 36 and 37 all connected to a common exhaust pipe 38 V ,@whic was nm e inf P 8 Before' eso in the Operation one of the switches.

' r fi to fg 2. fee 3Ei lr i' rafi l The construction of these switches is identical, but'for preference have shown that indicated in Fig. l by,

numeral 15' to which are connected the p es ure supp P po' j, ut pipe 2 M- f i e fio swi ch 1. and ox aoo pip 3 is switch '15 comprises a way 0 haying V an axial'bo're' and fitted with end covers 41 7 ou l pii w are cor n fiod to the bod an and 42, water-tight jointsbeing made by means of geeks 9 Exh ust pipe a communicate with the bore thereof, while Press r P1 1393 i nne te t my Within t e bore of tl e body are fo r tubular distance pieces 4 holding fixed spaced ati n 'thro annular U Ioo j o 5, Z

; twooi' dd di anc p ec s are p rfo a while the'two end ones have solid Walls,

"Sl dahl oz a y t rou h ll oat and d stan pi e is a ubular pl o 4 f h o he 9 1d opposed t fioio 1 is closed, while in the other endjs screwed 'foratod s an e moose a d. oportaroslfl a rod l7 hioh passe hroug a g1a1 ov r 2. and is te mi ally fittof'd W th an: &9 on Whioh is a uf er- So-i plunger 461M t o ries or radial anorurosl 51 nd 52 so disposed ma, when th par s, are, in the position shown n li g-f 12, apertures 51 regist wit one otth per- 'w i.th. h othe of saiol .p iiipitatoddistaw w o and these patented diotoeo ie j are so. rr n god to, re i i n resp oli oly otpip'o 32o p @131 fiange 153 prov ded with holes. area, oo

, app, bots and so ows 54 whorohi? e ,morosiaxially to-tho l ti ifi 11s. attaohoolto. any on en en part o ,tewoll iiramin oth n ,oonrenion el fi euito xture L nd n uohp oit n th .ohisoontao'tod by theta-we o when, loood 45 thereby the oooostebt oross roeflox ttodl on the, end

thereo'fby We or entering frompi e 31 a pipe 321s in communication with pipe 37 through apertures 51, bore of plunger 16 and apertures 52. The construction and arrangement vis also such? that the closure fhe, l t is o' fom it o 'o o u axialn overnent of plunger 46 brings aper- When he partsare in this-position t l V 'passto either-pipe 32 or pipe 37, but that '7 I tnres 52 irito. register "with the left hand distance pieceflfl, and apertures 1 tho l f hand. U oa ho f 4 This stzhli 'hosi mmunioati n e een P p 31 and 2 h ugh ap r es 1, ro' ofp u g wand ap t r so I w ll nowre e olF a 4 i l t g t regulator valve 23 and control cylinder 27.

The regu ator val s imilar, as regards 1 o p inoiplo o nst i t m he s i es and I will therefore not'des'cribe it in minute etoilb t i ildoso i o it ope ati 5 from which the be pp rent:

onstru ional do lai o wi P1P? 22 leading am the contr l" a v 1 is o oio o t the body a 56 h is c osed. a one n by solid head 57, d 1

at h ther: en is fitte w th o e 5 [th ugh whioh pa ses the holl w plun e 59 1 .1s@da ea h nd; he uto ond: of th Plunge i 7 connect d t a 7 oss h ard 46 aporfiur t ooommodate't o all. end 1 o the ho arm of boll Croo er 29 Wh ch-is l o ve end-W EN cyli er Tov th other end of crosshead60 is connected a o 6 w h en ers the ,oontroi. oy i .7 P, admit d to ei yl pdor f o ofpinofie Whloh I th b se 63 on wh hla mount d he ro t i out trom J i itohl 3 efFi I), ndrothi o ater v IYoi p unger! whom on h w the samejt mora fs'esIthe. ba ano weight 28.,

inih s Posi ion, 1 a d thol olitro o wi lie.v 1 1 operat d. dT- it, ater. Press r toiinlot nin .2 thi pr ssu e through perforated distanoo p eoo fifii hwugh op-o?- are 6.7111 the ho l Plunger v59 t'o o h b re the eof, thonoo throu'glia rt-Hres 6 p oocfi to 1.11 924 midi hydraul oyl lndo? are 1 w king, of the eleva or 1 lor Pres u e f roos tho-13amweirdly Q WIie'n thQ o trQI Vo vo 87 e V to. exhansta atet ows n ro 'q i di oti r. i r miox o fawnd so'o thr uahofih boo t Pipe 26 fr m o ntrol.,valy 1: permi ting the elegant: dos'o nd,

Quid to rosfsu o 1, oo iil' ylinolo 27bereIeaSt dl-(t o mange; weight QSQQPQ W Q to more as plunger: 59 in; the revers direction t tho o r exh ust positi n Wh rom apertures 68 register with perforated distance piece 66, and apertures 67 with perforated distance piece and exhaust pipe 25. This effectively closes pipe 24 and locks water in the cylinder 9. When in this position operation of the control valve 18 to open position merely permits water to flow from pipe 22 to pipe 25 and thence to main exhaust pipe 26, while its operation to exhaust position has no effect whatever.

Pipe 32 in relation to switch 14 is equivalent to pipe 31 in regard to switch 15, and

pipe 33 in relation to switch 13 is equivalent to pipes 31 and 32 in regard to the other switches, and it will therefore be obvious that if all the lift-well doors are closed and all the switches thereby set to the on or open position, a pressure circuit or path is established as follows :-fro-m pipe 31 through switch 15, pipe 32, switch 14, pipe 33, switch 13 and pipe 34 to control cylinder 27. Pressure in the latter sets the regulator valve to the on or open position establishing communication between the cylinder 9 and the control valve 18 and permitting the ordinary working of the elevator.

If however one of the doors is open or partly open, the pressure from the inlet pipe of the switch associated with that door will set that switch to the off or exhaust position and establish communication between the outlet pipe of that switchand the exhaust thus-relieving the pressure in the control cylinder 27. As an example of. this I will assume that the door at floor 1 (Fig. 1) is partly open as shown. Pressure passes from pipe 31 through. switch'15 to switch 14 and sets the latter to the ofi or exhaust position thus obstructing further flow. Thereupon the pressure in control cylinder 27 is cut olf and communication is established between the control cylinder 27 and exhaust pipe 36 from switch 14. Balance weight 28 now asserts itself and moves plunger 64 inwardly into the control cylinder and at the same time moves plunger 59 to the off or exhaust, position. This movement is permitted by the fact that there is now no obstruction to the displacement of water in cylinder 27 by the plunger 64, the displaced water escaping through pipe 34, switch 13 (which is in the on position), pipe 33, through switch 14 to exhaust pipe 36. I

A similar action occurs should any door be open, as will be readily understood. It is important to notice that any switch which is not (by the closure of the door) set to the on or flow position is automatically set to the off or exhaust position by the water pressure acting on its plunger.

The foregoing fully describes my invention as illustrated in the accompanying d ngs but it is to be underst od hat I do not confine my invention to what is actually discribed and illustrated as modifications falling within the scope of'the appended claims may be made or even be rendered necessaryto suit particular circumstances.

As the application of a switch to the lowest door of a lift-well may not always be required, the term each lift-well door or 5 all the lift-well doors, is, in this specifi cation, intended to mean each door above the lowest or all the doors including the lowest.

(hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an hydraulic elevatorinstallation including a lift-well having a door at each floor, a car running in said Well, and hydraulic car-operating mechanism controlled by a hand-operated valve in the service pipe, a fluid-pressure-actuated regulator valve in,- serted in the pressure supply pipe between said hand controlled valve and the operating mechanism, a control cylinder having a plunger connected with said regulator valve, an hydraulic switch comprising a cylindrically bored body having an inlet port connected to a fluid pressure supply pipe, an outlet port in communication with said control cylinder, an .exhaust port, and a plunger slidable axially in said body and normally positioned to establish communication between said exhaust port and outlet port, and means actuated by said door when closed to move said plunger to establish communication between said inlet and outlet ports. V

2. In an hydraulic elevator installation including a lift-well having a door at: each served floor, a car running in said lift-well, car-operating means controlled by a handoperated control valve in the service pipe, a regulator valve in thepressure pipe between said control valve and said car-operating mechanism, and a hydraulic control cylinder fitted with a plunger controlling said regulator valve, a series of hydraulic switches arranged and connected in series and associated individually with the respective doors of-the lift-well, each of said switches comprising a cylindrically bored body fitted with a plunger slidable axially therein and subjected to fluid pressure tending to move same to one extreme position, said body having an inlet port an outlet port and an exhaust port, a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to the inlet port of the first in series of said switches, a pipe connection between the outlet of each switch (except the last in series) and the inlet of the next in series, and a pipe-connection between the outlet of the last switch in series and the control cylinder, separate setting means connected individually to each switch plunger and actuated respectively by the lift-well I doors when closed to mo e said p ng r from the extreme position aforesaid wherein oomanunicationis closed between said inlet and outlet ports but is established between said outlet and exhaust ports, to the other ex treme position to establish communication between the inletand outlet ports and permit flow of water to said control cylinder to move its plungerand-set-said regulator valve to openposition, and lneans for returning said regulator valve to closed position when; pressure in the control cylinder is released on the opening of a lift well door and the constant fluid pressure in the switch moves the plunger thereof to the first ere" treme position. 7 4

' 3. Inan hydraulic elevator installation in and exhaust ports, a hollow plunger slidable through said leathers and movedcto one extreme position by water pressure admitted through the inlet port, means actuated by the closure of the lift-well door'to'move said plunger to the other extreme position, said plunger having in its wall two, separated sets of perforations sogarranged that when the plunger is in the last mentioned extreme position one set establishes com- Inunication'h between the inlet 'and outlet ports and when said plunger isthe first .mentioned extreme position (ximnuinication k is established between the outlet and exhaust ports, said switches being connected in.

seriesby means-of a pipe connection from the outlet port of each (except the last in series) to the inlet port of the next in series, and apipe connection from theJlast switch in" series to hydraulically actuated means controlling the operation of a {regulator valve interposed in the pressuresupply pipe line to the car-operating-mechanism.

4:.-II1 an hydrauliceleva'tor installation a regulator valve of hollow perforated plunger type having inlet outlet and exhaust ports, 7

a pipe connection between the outlet pipe and the car-operating mechanism," a'flui'd pressure supply pipe connected to the inlet pipe, a hydrauliccylinder having a plunger connectedtottheplunger of said regulator valve, hydraulic switches associated indinectedin series and to said hydraulic cyla inder,'said switches admitting water tosaid cylinder to actuate its ram and opensaid regulator valve when all the lift-well doors are closed but permitting said waterv to escape from said cylinder when any one of the lift-well doors is open, and meansfor returning the plungers of the regulator valve and hydraulic cylinder to normal position when the water pressure in said cylinder-is released; v

'7 Signed at Sydney, N; S.; W., this eighteenth day of September A. D. .1923;

-JOHN sTAN ErHUnTERZ 'vidually with each lift-well door and con- 

